Fantastic Rudy

photo from newsbreak.ph

NEVER HAVE I been a fan of Rodolfo “Rudy” Castro Fariñas. I had always known he is brilliant, but the arrogance attached to his person turned me off big time. And it did not help that he got embroiled in a wide array of controversies both in the public and private spheres.

In the last elections, his campaign spiel was that he is a changed man. After one tragedy over the other struck, successively over a decade, the once invincible politician said he had a lot of time to reflect on his life. Nice speech, but I was cynical. It is, after all, the duty of any good citizen to always take everything a politician says with a healthy dose of disbelief.

When he won convincingly in the congressional race over Kris Ablan, who was highly popular with the younger generations, I decided to employ a wait-and-see attitude on the comeback kid. “Let’s give the guy a chance,” I thought.

Rudy has not disappointed. In fact, he has surprised, and so pleasantly. Watching him in action in the televised impeachment proceedings against Merceditas Guttierez made me feel so proud to be from his district. He was consistently brilliant, witty, visually refreshing, and, oh, so charming.

That he was entrusted the post of Vice Chair of the House Committee on Justice speaks of how highly regarded he is in the legislature. An old congressman from the South even referred to him as a “legal luminary,” and was unabashed in saying that Rudy is someone whom “I love dearly.” It was strange because that congressman fan was standing in an opposing rostrum, and was supposed to interpolate Rudy. Not even the worn-out, wearisome antics of Minority Leader Edcel Lagman could work on Fariñas, who was as eloquent and coherent as a debater could be.

And the adulation for Rudy goes beyond the chambers of congress. I have talked to a lot of people—from colleagues in the media and political observers to house workers of the congressman, all of them sing in unison: he is a changed man. And his kids adore him.

I have never been a fan of Rudy Fariñas, but I think I am now, and moreso after reading a story written by Glenda M. Gloria for Newsbreak’sprofiles on the members of the 11-person prosecution panel in the Ombudsman’s trial at the Senate. The story is balanced and fair; it neither sugarcoats Rudy’s dark past nor does it romanticize the present , but this to me is a story of the triumph of the human spirit.

4 thoughts on “Fantastic Rudy”

Correct! A paragon of extensive erudition. I religiously monitored the sessions of the Justice Committee and I witnessed a display of deep intelligence in the fearless statements of a consummate legal luminary . . . so cogent, so enlightening. Ilocos Norte should really be proud of Rudy Farinas. A toast to the great solon!

Since RudyF got into politics, he displayed such intellectual flair and eloquence that mesmerize the audience, especially the ladies. With his handsome features and a good dresser, he is a ladies’ man in his younger years and still continues until today, though he seemed to have slowed down on such earthly desires, heheh…

When he became mayor of Laoag City at age 28, Laoag experienced a good government. Nawala ang lagayan at corruption . I remember when I tried to secure a birthh cartificate, I inserted 2 pesos on my application.
Ito ay dati nang garapalang ginagawa ng empleado. But the clerk gave the money back in a nice manner. Takot sila kay mayor.